Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-08
A Romance of the Met
ropolis.
Founded upon Notes from the
Diary of Inspector Byrnes.
copyrighted 1887 by o. NJ. Durham.
Concluded from last week.
CHAPTER vi.

wagon or even lne footsteps Oh IL ptueS
trian could be plainly distinguished. Fol
fully two hours Grady had been SITTING
quite motionless in his chair, with his
broad strong hands resting on his knees
his thick lips slightly compressed, and his
eyes half closed. He WAS not asleep, how
ever, far from it or, If he were dreaming
it was waking dream. And it was a
dream, not of the past, but of the future.
Grady had, what few people gave him
credit for, a romantic and powerful imagi
nation. This faculty is not seldom the ac-
compartment of executive ability and a
capacity for affairs. Its ostensible effect
is chiefly to deepen and enrich the other
qualities but it also had a sphere and sea-
sons of its own, when, and in which, it
carries its owner on flights to fairy land.
Presently a slight shock seemed to pass
through the compact frame of the man,
and he sat erect in his chair, with all his
senses on the stretch. There was faint
noise, as if the other side of the partition
wall between the staircase and the snop
had been scratched with some pointed in
strument. Grady arose and walked noise
lessly to the door, against which he laid
his ear. An air-the opening bars of one
of Strauss waltzes-was thrummed on the
panel without as with soft finger tips
Grady quietly drew back the belt and
opened the door. A woman, clad in dark,
soft clothing, with "a thick veil over ner
face, stepped quickly across the threshold,
and Immediately passed behind the coun-
ter and on to the door which communi
Gated with the sitting room beyond. Grady
replaced the bolt and followed her.
There was no light either in the shop or
or the room except such dim rays as found
their way in from the street lamps in
Broadway, through the window on that
end. The side windows on Bleecker street
were all protected 10y wooden blinds and
curtains. Grady closed the door of the
sitting room behind him and then struck
match and lighted a candle which stood
on the narrow mantlepiece.
The candle frightened up, dimmed and
frightened again, as it is the way with
candles. There stood the woman, in the
pale yellow light, still enveloped in her
dark cloak and veil.
Il was beginnin' to think you'd be late
again" said Grady, as he turned toward
her. It's all right, | suppose"
She laughed in a whisper, at the same
time unfastening her cloak and unpinning
her veil with swift and swift and supple
fingers. Then, with a sinuous turn of her
body, she unhusked herself, AS it were,
and appeared in demi-toilette, with a tri-
angular opening at the neck and sleeves
which left her white arms bare from the
elbows down Next she stripped Off her
gloves, looking at him tho while with
laughing eyes. Throwing them on the
table, she stepped forward and put her
two warm, delicate hands on either side of
his broad, dark face.
You ugly, black old villain ~ she said,
in her low, muflied voice. You sweet
little monster You were thinking about
me, We're you, well, want YOU to think
about me. Let me catch YOU doing any
thing else You wicked, hideous old dar-
ling oh, how hate you What Il great,
coarse mouth you've got and what sharp
wicked eyes you've got And what horrid
big ears you've got DO you love me-"
The last words were spoken with a com
plete change OF manner. from mOcking
banter to music tl.tenderness. The blood
rushed to Grady's face; he threw his arms
round her and drew her up to him. But
she pressed her hands against his broad
chest and, bending back, turned her lovely
face aside.
"Give me kiss, won't YOU - sale
Grady, between his teeth.
Let me go - she returned, in SO colo
and imperious tone that the mans arm.
insensibly relaxed their hold. " Let me
go-or you shall never see me again :" Hn
arms dropped to his sides, and he pressed
his teeth against his lips. You forgo
that am "A lady," she continued "Yol
can take no liberties with me-but what
grant ~
"You drive a man mad - mutterec
Grady huskily.
"You know perfectly well the condition.
on which | visit you. Ii they do not SUI
you, say so, and | will come no more.
She paused, with sort of interrogativ,
look. He shook his thick shoulders
with short forcible growl. All
Jack :" she said after moment, changn.
again, you must let me do my own way
This is like nothing else. If you canno
keep yourself down, | dare not be will
you. You know love you and YOU mus
let me WOO you-not WOO me You mus
hurry me. You will not lose anything il
the end. If take my own way | shall
never 90 back but if you force me VOL
lose me. ! can't help it am made tina
way. Will you be good ?"
Pm cut my throat for you, if you tax
the fancy" said he doggedly
Hereupon this grand lady, whose slende
loot was too fastidious to tread on CON
mon earth, put her arms softly around hi
neck, bent forward and kissed him on tn
lips. AS the dull candlelight fell on thi
strange pair-the woman all aristocrati
loveIness and refinement, the man coarse
rugged, plebian-it might well have beef
taken as living type of Beauty and tn
Beast. But Beauty's caress aid not, il
this case. transform the beast into
prince. III she had expected it to do s
perhaps she would not have kissed him
Whatever else he was it was plain enougI
that he was her slave.
There was stutfy and dlapidated littl
SOFA in the room, Its springs had beel
springless for dozen years, its covering
were soiled and ragged it had brokeI
down and been propped up in variou
places, and was altogether disreputable
Grady's visitor seated herself upon il witt
rs much apparent satisfaction as if it ha,
been upholstered in embroidered satin an,
stuffed with swans down; and, havinI
settled herself there she motioned hin
with gesture of her hand to take hi
place at her knee. Accordingly, the MAJ
squatted down on the floor like a grea
bear, with his shoulder resting against tn
corner of the sofa at her side and she lie
one arm slip round his big head, pattin!
his face with her hand and running he
fingers through his thick, short hair, Jus
as she might have fondled an animal. o
as Titanla is famed to have caressed tn,
ss's noddle.
" What makes me care for you-cap vol
tell me that :" she exclaimed, bendin.
forward to glance a moment in his face
- Is IT, DeranSp "a tho ipn =,